Letter from the Editor-in-Chief: What Breast Cancer Patients Need When Treatment Ends

Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death amongst women in most countries. Photo by Getty Breast cancer awareness has never been higher, but public knowledge and support after treatment haven’t kept pace, said Marisa Weiss, MD, founder and Chief Medical Officer at Breastcancer.org. The widest gap is the “quiet phase” after initial treatment ends, when patients are left with questions about side effects, work, and family. Some turn to GLP-1s, supplements, and cannabis without telling their doctors, often fearing judgment, even though some can interact with cancer medications. Healthline’s Editor-in-Chief Robin Hough sits down with Dr. Weiss, a breast cancer survivor herself, to talk advocacy, awareness, and care this Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer awareness has never been higher. Every October, the world turns pink and the key messages—that early diagnosis saves lives and that knowing the risk factors reduces the risk—are hard to miss. Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death amongst women in most countries, with an estimated 694,000 deaths annually and around 8.2 million women globally living with a breast cancer diagnosis, according to 2…

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